Impossible Book One: The Darkness Returns
by RushandStreak
Summary: Soren couldn't believe it, had Eglantine actually turned to the Pure One's side? The Pure Ones return, full force and with a devious plan to destroy the Guardians. The Guardians will need all the help they can get, but when Eglantine switches sides, all of Soren's hopes are lost and he must do the impossible to defeat his own sister, but can he?
1. Prologue

**I have read the books, yes, but I have also seen the movie. To those who are like me, and have both read the books and seen the movie, the movie has a different plot twist to it. This is based off of the movie, and the movie only. Launch into the world of owls and forget the books, as they will only take away what this work might create...**

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**Prologue**

_"Eglantine!" Soren shouted, stretching his talons out to her, "You don't have to be like this!"_

_"Oh, Soren," Eglantine laughed, "I've always been like this, you just didn't have the courage to look deep enough into my soul." She turned her heart shaped face to Nyra, "You still have the choice to join us."_

_Soren shook his head, "No. Eglantine, you can't… don't."_

_"Oh, dear brother, it's already happened, and soon enough your puny, pathetic tree will fall and you shall be shown the truth. The pure ones shall reign, I promise you, and you can be part of our great plan if you only embrace the truth."_

_Soren couldn't believe it, no, he didn't believe it. Had his sister actually turned to the Pure One's side?_

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**This story may or may not be updated until at least one of my current stories are completed, please note that this is only a preview of what is to come. Thank you.**


	2. Chapter 1

**I hope you enjoy this new story, unfortunately, it may be the last on my list to update until I finish a few other stories. Please review, because the more popular this becomes, the higher it becomes on my updating list.**

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The stars twinkled above like tiny lanterns lighting the way, the tree, gloriously in the time of the rose rain, and the wind, light enough not to fight against but providing the great updrafts all owls craved.

The tree, huge and standing valiantly in the middle of a golden hued island, had sturdy branches that reached to the sky, as if trying to fly like the birds that made their home in it. Every golden drop of sunlight that hit the leaves made them appear gold, the time of the rose rain helping, as the leaves were turning amber.

The sea, too, was trying to slowly eat away the soil and rocks the tree had grown onto from a sapling. The water twisted and churned around gullies and small streams that were scattered across the island. This water was teaming with fish, their tails flicking up in bursts of water and silver scales as they navigated these channels and made their way back out to sea.

Even the ground was teeming with life. Voles and mice scurried from hiding place to hiding place, foraging for food and a safe place to call home. A few larger animals, although not many, like rabbits and squirrels scampered around, chattering wildly at each other or bouncing through the grass, hoping not to be spotted.

But perhaps the most eye catching piece was all the birds that flapped silently through the trees. Now, I say silently because these were not just normal birds. Indeed, these were special birds, as they possessed eyesight that anyone would think was brilliant, and the skill of silent flight. These birds were owls, and there were dozens of them. Barn Owls, Pigmy Owls, Spotted Owls, Great Greys, Elf Owls, Sooty Owls, Great Horns, and many other species flew through the air around the tree.

As it just so happens, this story is about two of these owls, and how one choice can change history. These two owls were sitting on a branch. One was a young male, whose face was pure white rimmed in amber. His back was strewn with tiny black specks and his chest was much lighter than his back and wings, which had darker brown tips to them. His eyes were kind and golden amber as deep as the tree's leaves at the time.

The second was a much smaller female, who, if you saw her, you would not be much impressed. She had ragged feathers, dingy grey and sticking out all over the place, as if she were trapped flying in a storm perpetually. Her wings were only beginning to fledge the feathers needed for flying, and they were the same brown tipped color as the young male. Perhaps, though, despite her feathers' appearance, you would have liked her eyes. They were the color of the other owl's but slightly lighter. They had a look of deep intelligence, a look that might make you think of the saying 'as wise as an owl'.

And wise this owl was, at least now, when she was young. For most fledglings of her age, the flight feathers would make the fledgling want to begin flying as soon as there was even a sign of bumps of the feathers coming in. But this female vaguely remembered her brother talking about the time he had tried to fly. That was how they ended up here, all because of that fall.

Yes, these two owls were siblings, if you have not already guessed. Not only were these owls siblings, but heroes to the Great Tree. They had saved the Guardians from the evil grip of the Pure One's reign of terror. The Pure Ones consisted of all _Tytos_, or owls of the Barn Owl family species wise. They had believed that the only owls worthy to rule were Tytos, and all other owl species could be considered slaves. Nyra, the hellish owl who commanded them, along with Metal Beak, were defeated by these two owls and the Guardians.

Now, they weren't the only ones to help defeat the Pure Ones. No, there was the Band, as they had come to be known. The Band consisted of a Great Grey, an Elf Owl, a Spotted Owl, a Burrowing Owl, and our two Barn Owls. How they had come together is a different story for a different time.

But now it is time for this story, the story of one choice: to follow good or evil.

"Soren," the fledgling said, her voice soft and considerate, "can we go home? To our tree in Tyro Forest, please?"

Soren, the older barn owl shook his head, "We are Guardians now, Eglantine. Besides, don't you want to live the legend we only dreamed was true?"

Eglantine turned away, "I don't want to face the Pure Ones again, Soren, and you know that will happen if we stay. Nyra is still alive."

Soren placed his wingtips on her shoulders lightly. "But they are a small force, and they do not have their flecks anymore. Eglantine, I promise you'll be safe if we stay here. I won't let the Pure Ones get to you." The barn owl lifted his sister's head to look into his eyes, "I promise."

His sister had tears in her eyes, "What about Kludd? I want him here, like before, but I don't want him evil."

"Kludd is dead," Soren said quietly, "he can't come back."

The young fledgling opened her beak but was interrupted. A huge Great Grey's wing nearly knocked the small owl over as he landed. Now here was a sight to see, a Great Grey was always a marvelous creature that took your breath away. The species is huge, the largest of all owls. Their feathers are grey and on each side of its beak were swoops of white feather. These owls had great yellow eyes that held an entire world of mystery behind them. This owl just so happened to be part of the Band. "Hello Soren, Eglantine," the owl said, hooking his great talons around one of the branches, clicking as they took a hold. "Why the long faces? We just won a battle!"

And he belted out a loud song:

"_When Twilight comes barreling into the Pure Ones,_

_They flee in terror at his valiant fighting,_

_When everything's done,_

_Those owls they run,_

_With their shame extremely inviting!_

_To arms!"_

Eglantine and Soren covered their ears with their wings. Twilight's song was off tune, as all of his lyrics and most of his tunes were made up as he went along. He chuckled deeply, "I liked that one, I gotta make sure I remember it."

"Okay, Twilight," Soren chuckled, "what did you come here to get us for?"

"It's dinner," the Great Grey said loudly, "and the Band is all there gathering."

xXx

After a short while, the owls had flown to the dining hollow. The hollow was an elongated room, where the owls of the Great Tree were served meals of cooked meat, caterpillars, or other food that appealed to owls. At the moment, the entire Band was there.

Digger, a burrowing owl with dark brown fur, long, featherless legs, and bushy white swoops of feathers over each eye, had his head shoved into a bowl of caterpillars, as usual. He peeked his head out of the bowl and greeted them, "Hello, Soren, Eglantine… Twilight." Everyone in the Band knew that Digger never really got along with Twilight, even though the Burrowing Owl and Great Grey were friends.

"Hello, Digger," Twilight said grandly, expanding his wings to make a scene.

The Elf Owl and Spotted Owl both gave a knowing glance to each other and rolled their eyes. "Hello Twilight," they said together.

The Elf owl was a red, brown, and white coloration with elegant curved stripes under each eye of white and lighter tan. Her small size was incredible, only reaching up to Soren's wing. Her name was Gylfie. Her friend was Otulissa, the spotted owl. Her face and chest were white with dark brown and gold streaks under her eyes and on her upper chest. The rest of her body, wings, and tail were mottled red, white, gold, and black.

Eglantine walked over to Gylfie and Otulissa. They knew at once that something was bothering her. Gylfie reached up with one wing and touched the barn owl's shoulder, "What's bothering you?"

"Kludd," Eglantine said slowly, "I miss him."

Otulissa might have been a good friend, but she wasn't very sympathetic, "He was evil, you know it too. He may have been your brother, but he was dangerous. He had to be disabled. He had to be killed."

Gylfie gave the Spotted Owl a glare, "Otulissa's right, I'm afraid, but you still have Soren, your mother, and your father."

Eglantine forced a smile, "I know, but I still miss him."

The two other owls looked at each other sadly, not knowing what do say. Instead, they stayed silent and watched the Barn Owl as she chose a vole from the table.


	3. Chapter 2

**Well, you guys are lucky! I've got writers block on several stories and, therefore, this one is being updated! I'm happy to say that this story has been accepted by you all, and I hope that more will come to enjoy it. Thank you.**

**St33lStrif3~ I'm glad you liked this and here's that MORE you wanted!**

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It was daylight, the time for sleep. The hallows that lead out of the tree, or were positioned near the surface of the think trunk, were swathed in sunlight. For Soren's family, this was normal, at least since joining the Guardians at the Great Tree.

Before, the family had chosen a fir tree to spend their time in at night. The branches of this tree stretched high and clusters of dark green, needle-like leaves draped over these. The needle covered branches were dispersed at different points and angles to make a think canopy above them. But that was gone, and now all they had to protect them from the sun was the shadows scattered at intervals across the hollow.

Eglantine, pressed up against her mother's side, was sleeping in one of these shadows. She tried to almost disappear into her mother's tawny brown feathers as she dreamt.

xXx

_She was flying in mists that clung to her wings and feathers. She, at first thought it wonderful, that is, until she realized that she could not be flying, as she had yet to gain the feathers needed for flight. She felt frightened for a moment, before realizing that somehow, miraculously, she was fully fledged. She took in her surroundings then, and became panicked once more. _

_The trees were white, Birch Trees, and ghostly as they stood there. Not a single sound was in the wind, not even that of her own breathing. The owl found herself gliding across a powerful wind, pushing her forward and away from the darker parts of the forest. Now, she was heading towards what looked to be sunlight, like that of what she had been awake in at St. __Aegolius._

_And it was St. Aegolius that she was heading for._

_The crags and spikes of brown, sometimes blood stained rock were a sight she hadn't wished to see ever again. For it was where Kludd, her own brother, and Nyra had kept her. At first she didn't think that it was so bad, despite Kludd's talk of how weak Soren was. In fact, she had almost enjoyed being with her brother all by herself. It wasn't until they moonblinked her that she saw what it had truly been. She wished to never go back to those dark days._

_But now she was._

_The unnatural wind was pulling her into the depths of the academy, the place she had been moonblinked and forced to cheer for Metal Beak before the war that had killed him. Then, dozens of owls had been gathered, clicking clawed talons against the stone in some, almost hypnotic, rhythm. Now, it was empty. The great perch that Metal Beak had stood on was the only thing that seemed familiar and frightening to her. Other than that, it was just an empty room. There was no terror, no calls for other owls' blood, no ghastly speeches, it was just… empty._

_Or so Eglantine thought, as just that moment an almost pure white barn owl swooped in, with none other than Kludd at her side. The female's clawed talons clicked menacingly on the stone as she landed, glinting off the sunlight dripping through the carved stone._

_The Barn Owl's face was pure white, not a feather out of place, not a scratch touched it. For Eglantine, it felt as if she was staring at the moon itself, and it was trying to moonblink her back. But instead, she tipped her head downward and Eglantine saw, for the first time, what looked like fresh blood rimming her face and dripping down its middle toward her beak. If she hadn't been so scared, this might have even seemed pretty to her._

_But the cold, glinting, green rimmed amber eyes were enough to push that thought away. They, too, were beautiful and might have made Eglantine forget her worries if not for the bloodlust behind them. The owl then stretched her wings to their full extent in an almost welcoming gesture. They, too, were white other than a slight dusting of tawny feathers and pink tips. She spoke, "Eglantine, thine soul, why so scared? You are one of us, as you've been marked as one of us from thine start."_

_Eglantine blinked. Why was the owl that had captured her speaking so strangely? And why was Kludd standing here? Soren and all the other Guardians said he was dead._

_Kludd stepped forward. He looked almost exactly like Soren, but with darker feathers and a tuft of feathers at the top of his head that were tinted red. Now, too, he had a wing that was slightly crooked and scars streaking across his white, heat-shaped face._

"_Eglantine, what's the matter?" Kludd said softly and, almost, sweetly. "You look like you have seen a ghost. Or is it that the Guardians said I was dead just to keep you from our side?"_

_Eglantine let out a gasp, "Why would Soren do that?"_

"_Oh, just to keep thine away from the Pure Ones higher logic," the other owl answered. For the first time, Eglantine recognized her. She was Nyra._

"_Yes, sister," Kludd agreed, "that is the truth. The Guardians have been feeding you lies. Pure Ones will reign supreme and the Guardians will fall. That is how it has been since Nyra has created this academy. That is how it was meant to be."_

"_But y-you moonb-b-blinked me," Eglantine stuttered._

_Kludd and Nyra cast each other glares. "Oh, Eglantine," Kludd said with a snarl embedded in his voice, "it had to be done. It was one of the sacrifices we all have to make to join the Pure Ones."_

_Eglantine stepped back, she didn't believe it. Had her brother gone completely mad? She remembered him as kind, even when he was fighting Soren. Of course, she hadn't been there for that. Perhaps she might have had other thoughts if she had. "I don't want to j-join P-P-Pure Ones s-side."_

_Nyra stretched her wings higher, her eyes like burning embers, but she kept her voice calm. "You need not join now. But it will happen, because the Guardians are liars. I promise you."_

_She found herself repeating Nyra. "The Guardians are liars, I promise you." Then the view of her brother and Nyra vanished and she was suspended in darkness. She was back and normal, with her grey, far from flight worthy, feathers and someone was calling to her. She felt a shake and woke up._

xXx

"What did you say, Eglantine?" Soren asked, holding her, as she was trembling. He was worried; his sister of all owls very rarely had daymares. "Are you okay?"

Eglantine's eyes were wide open but vacant for a few seconds. She blinked, once, twice, and was fully conscious. "Soren? Why are you waking me up? I was having the most wonderful dream."

Soren was taken aback, "You were yelling something about Guardians and promises, you were trembling like a leaf in a hurricane, how can you say you were having a wonderful dream?"

"Soren, it was Kludd. He was there, and he was being nice to me." Soren wanted to question her but by the time he had formed words, his sister was already asleep.


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